Bystander helps rescue man who fell on subway tracks

Email

|

MORE!

PHILADELPHIA -– A Good Samaritan jumped onto subway tracks to save a man who accidentally fell off a platform Thursday afternoon in North Philadelphia.

The incident occurred at about 12:45 p.m. at the SEPTA Cecil B. Moore station located at North Broad Street & Cecil B. Moore Avenue.

A 63-year-old man fell at least four feet off of the platform onto tracks. Good Samaritan Chris Knafelc happened to see this, and without reservation, jumped and tried to help the man.

Trains were set to pass by every seven minutes, and the victim laid just a few feet away from an energized track.

The Good Samaritan says he wasn’t thinking about the dangers, but thinking about victim.

“Out of corner of my eye I saw a body flail onto the tracks,” said Knafelc. “I really couldn’t see very well from where I was sitting. I approached him, I could tell he was in pain.”

I jumped down, I knew I had about five to ten minutes until another train,” he said. “I told the guy in booth to suspend southbound trains. I already had a plan in mind if a train came to roll underneath.”

Trains were stopped as the rescue continued.

Investigators are still trying to figure out why the 63-year-old victim stumbled onto the tracks.

The victim was transported to Temple University Hospital with pain.

When asked if he would do it again, the Good Samaritan responded “Absolutely.”